Container



Oct. 4, 1932. c. B. cARLsoN L88fi$8 CONTAINER Filed Sept. 24. 1928 INVENT R Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES B. GARLSON, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN'OR TO THOMAS A.

EDISON, INCORPORATED, NEW JERSEY CONTAINER Application filed September 24, 1928. Serial No. 307,897.

This invention relates to containers. More specifically it relates to containers, casings, or housings, adapted to enclose or contain comparatively heavy loads such as heavy machinery. One of the objects of the invention is to provide a container provided with lifting devices such as a handle or handles whereby it may be lifted and carried and in which the Weight of the contents of the container is borne substantially entirely, or at least in large part directly by the lifting devices or handles.

Another object is to provide a container which may be removed with facility from the contents or vice versa.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the invention is hereinafter disclosed.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates anow preferred form of the invention Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the container. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a front elevation and an end elevation of the container.

'Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.1.

The container-comprises end walls 10, 10, and'front and back Walls 11, 12, of sheet metal suitably joined at their vetrical edges, i. e. integrally, by welding, riveting, swaging, or otherwise, to form a substantially rectangular enclosure having an open top and an open bottom. The top is adapted to be closed by a lid or cover 13, also of sheet metal, having a depending flange 14 adapted to surround the end, front and back walls at the upper part of the walls. The lid 13 is secured to the back wall 12 by a pair of hinges 15 so that the lid may swing about the axis of the hinges from open to closed position and vice versa. As shown, the lower metallic hinge straps 16 of the hinge 15 extend downwardly to the bottom edge of the back wall 12 and they are secured throughout their length to the back wall 12 by welding, riveting or otherwise. The upper metallic hinge straps 17 which ex- .tend around the lid 13 and down to the lower edge of the front of the flange 14 thereof, are likewise secured to the lid. A metallic reinforcing peripheral band 18 is similarly secured to lower parts of the end, front and back walls and also to the straps 16 and to the metallic strips 19 (presently described) which straps 16 and strips 19 overlap the band 18. The metallic strips or straps 19 are secured to the front wall, as previously described with reference to the other straps, and extend from the bottom of the front wall to the position assumed by the lower edge of the flange 14 of the lid 13 when the latter is closed.

Metallic snap clasps 20, of the kind commonly employed on baggage trunks, are secured to the straps 19, and the lugs 21 of the clasps are secured to the straps 17. By virtue of these clasps the lid may be releasably locked in closed position. The lid 13 has also secured thereto a metallic hinged hasp 22 adapted to receive the metallic staple 24, secured to the front wall 11, so that the lid may be padlocked.

The container, as thus far described has no bottom, i. c. it is open at its bottom. It is es pecially adapted to receive its contents through the open bottom as by placing the container over the machine, or'the like, which it is adapted to contain, enclose, and protect, and to support the weight of the contents substantially entirely and directly by the handles or lifting devices about to be described.

Each end wall 10 is provided with a swiveled metal handle 25 and the metallic handle straps 26 are bolted, riveted, welded, or otherwise strongly secured to the corresponding end wall 10 and to a corresponding one of two metallic angle plates 27 mounted upon the inner sides of the end walls 10. Theparticular machine for which this particular container was designed, and with which it is now employed, comprises a heavy metal plate or platform 28 firmly connected to four corner angle posts 29 which are secured at their lower endsto a base plate 30 The machine (described in detail in a copending application Serial No. 314,577, filed October 24, 1928) is a sound-reproducing machine of heavy construction including a heavy turn-table 31 and other heavy parts supported by the platform 28, base plate 30, and corner posts '29; The plate 28 is detachably connected to the angle plates 27 by means of cap screws 32 which extend down- OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF borne by the angle plates 27 and directly transmitted through the angle plates 27 t0 the handles 25. Also, when the container and its contents are rested upon a floor, table,

or other supporting surface, the weight of the contents is borne by the base plate 30 and not by the walls or top of the container. By virtue of'this construction the casing is not called upon to support the heavy load which it contains. It may therefore be made comparatively light in weight, though sturdy and fully protective.

Access to those parts of the machine or contents above the plate 28 may readily be had by opening the lid 13. I If it be desired to obtain access to parts of the machine or contents below the plate 28, the procedure is simple and as follows. The cap screws 32 are unscrewed. The container is then raised as by the handles 25, and removed from the machine or contents, leaving the latter fully exposed and disconnected from the container. Reverse procedure is adapted to restore the parts to the position shown in Fig. 4. It will be noted that none of the contents (i. e. none of the parts of the machine) can be removed from the container without opening the lid 13. It will also be noted that the screws 32 are adapted to prevent the load (contents of the container) from becoming detached from the container, for when said screws are in engagement with-plate or septum 28 they firmly hold the load in the position shown in Figure 4, and no part of the load can then be removed through the bottom of the container. Upon removing said screws from such engagement, however, the whole load can be removed through the bottom. It is impossible to disconnect the base plate 30 from the corner posts 29 without first raising the casing with respect thereto.

It is to be understood that the use of the casing or container is not restricted to the particular contents above described but it may be used for other purposes, with the scope of the appended claims, with such modifications as-will occur to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. A container adapted to house a heavy load such as a machine andfcomprising in combination, a hollow protective shell, a lifting device secured to the shell, load-supporting means, and load-transmitting connections for transmitting the weight'of a load upon the load-supporting means directly to the lifting device whereby substantially no part of the weight of the contents of the container is borne by the shell when the container is raised by the lifting device.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a shell-like casing having an open bottom, load-supporting means within the casing, lifting means secured to the casing and to said load-supportingmeans, and detachable load-transmitting connections directly connecting the load-supporting means to a load within the housing. l

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, a bottomless housing having lateral walls and a lid which may be opened to obtain access to the contents of the housing, handles secured to walls of the housing, and detachable connections accessible through the top of the housing when the lid is open and directly supporting the weight of the contents of the housing from the handles when the housing and contents are being transported by the handles.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, a housing, a load-supporting frame within the housing, lifting devices secured to the housing whereby it may bere moved from the frame, and brackets detachably connecting the frame to the lifting devices, so that the load borne by the housing when the housing and load-supporting frame are lifted by the lifting devices is substantially the same as when the housing alone is lifted by said lifting devices.-

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, ahousing having lateral walls,

a lid which may be opened, and a bottom plate which may be detached only when the lid is open; lifting devices secured to walls of the housing, and load transmitting connections between the bottom plate and the lifting devices.

' 6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a machine-supporting frame of which the confines entirely surround the machine support-ed by the frame, the frame including a bottom plate, a housing adapted to enclose the frame, the bottom plate of the frame serving also as the bottom of the housing, handlessecured to the housing whereby the latter may be removed from the frame, and means directly and detachably connectin 'the frame and handles.

I. In a device of the class described, in combination, a housing having an open bottom and normally closed at its top by a lid which may be opened, and means accessible only when the lid is open, for manipulation to prevent orto permit removal of the contents of the housing through the bottom thereof.

8. In a device of the class described, in com bination, a housing having lateral walls an open bottom and a lid which may be opened, handles secured to opposite walls of the housing, brackets connected to the handles, a septum detachably connected to the brackets at the under sides of the latter, a base plate and corner posts secured to the septum and base plate.

9. In a device of the classdescribed,in combination, a housing having lateral Walls, an open bottom and a lid which may be opened, lifting devices secured to Walls of the housing, supporting members connected to the lifting devices, a septum detachably connected to the supporting members, a base plate and posts secured to the septum and base plate.

This specification signed this 19th day of September 1928.

CHARLES B. CARLSON. 

